Grado

Grado (グラド帝国 Gurado Teikoku lit. Grado Empire in the Japanese version) is the largest individual monarchy in the continent of Magvel. Throughout the course of Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, the Empire is led by Emperor Vigarde and (later) the Demon King Fomortiis, under the guise of Prince Lyon. It borders Frelia to the northwest, Renais to the north, and Jehanna to the northeast.

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Grado is divided into urban and agricultural sections. The Emperor rules from the Capital city of Grado Keep, deep within the southeastern part of the country. Many fringe cities line the edge of Grado's borders; many of these are comprised of farmland. There are many lakes which border Castle Renvall in the Renais-Grado border at the northern edge of the country. The Za'albul Marsh is in western Grado, along with the port city of Tai'zel.

The nation is also known for its frequent tremors, though they are often small and barely cause any damage.

Grado has the most powerful military in Magvel, due in no small part to its Imperial Three, Generals Duessel, Glen, and Selena. At the war's beginning, they are supplemented by another three Generals: Caellach, Valter, and Riev.

Grado's military has a large amount of Fighter and Shaman units, befitting of Grado's Sacred Twins, the axe Garm and the dark magic tome Gleipnir. They also have a wide array of Soldiers, Cavaliers, and Archers, making for a well-rounded army. However, the most notable features are their Wyvern Riders and Shamans. Using the high mobility of Wyvern Riders and Cavaliers, and the heavy firepower of Shamans, Grado's military force can easily overwhelm the other nations, except for Frelia.

The country's eponymous founder, Grado, was one of the Five Heroes who sealed away the Demon King 800 years past. Before the events of the game, Grado housed the Fire Emblem, which was the Sacred Stone that carried the Demon King's spirit. The "S" rank dark magic tome Gleipnir, and "S" ranked black axe, Garm, are the Sacred Twin weapons of Grado, once used by the nation's founding hero.

Knoll's conversations with Duessel and Natasha reveal that after centuries of peace, some time before the events of the game, he, Prince Lyon, and several researchers used the forbidden spell "Time Shear" to look in the future. From this spell, they saw that the southern half of Grado would be destroyed by a powerful earthquake in the coming years after they saw the vision.

Further aggravating the situation, Emperor Vigarde died of illness shortly after, devastating Lyon. His death, along with the knowledge of Grado's imminent destruction, causes Lyon to push his research even further, seeking to resurrect his father using the power of Grado's Sacred Stone. With the Emperor's death kept secret from the public, Lyon and a team of mages, including Knoll, tirelessly conducted experiments with the stone and eventually, after many days, the Fire Emblem was shattered in two—the Sacred Stone and a Dark Stone, with Lyon resurrecting Vigarde and then destroying the Sacred Stone, causing the resurgence of monsters across Magvel.

Shortly after Vigarde's revival, Lyon, possessed by the Demon King, commands Vigarde to use Grado's military might to lay waste to the rest of Magvel, making Renais the first target. At the same time, he scheduled the execution of anyone who was a potential obstacle, including Knoll, who witnessed the event, and McGregor, who protested against his actions.

After Renais defeated Grado in the war, the predicted earthquake destroyed does come true, and is seen by many people as a divine punishment. However, Ephraim, Lyon's old friend and now king of Renais, organizes extensive aid for Grado's remaining citizens; some of the soldiers who defected from Grado also aid in the country's reconstruction.

Grado is Italian for "grade", although its usage varies. However, given the different personalities and intentions shown from characters hailing from the empire, the word degree fits this description better, if one were to also base the empire's desire for expansion, hence the name.